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< all recipes Homemade Marshmallows A homemade marshmallow should not be considered within the same food realm as its store-bought counterpart - which, don't get me wrong, I love as much as the next nostalgic camper, but imagine a world in which a marshmallow did not need to be scorched by bonfire in order to taste like a marshmallow. I can't believe I am actually saying this, but a homemade marshmallow does not even need to be s'mored... but if you have a kitchen torch, it cant hurt to bring a little bit of summer into these cold and dreary winter days. A big bowl of hot chocolate pairs nicely too. Homemade Marshmallows Serves: 25 2in squares (aka a lot of marshmallows) Ingredients 4 envelopes powdered gelatin 1 cup icy cold water 3 cups sugar 1 cup honey ½ tsp kosher salt 2 tsp cinnamon for dusting: 1 cup confectioners sugar ½ cup cornstarch Print Preparation Line a 13x9 inch rimmed sheet pan, letting excess parchment hang over long edges, spray very lightly with cooking spray and set aside. Whisk gelatin and cold water together in the bowl of an electric mixer (have the whisk attachment ready). Combine sugar, honey and 1 cup of warm water in a medium pot, mixing thoroughly in order to get all of the sugar wet. Boil sugar over high heat (without stirring) until it reaches 235˚F on a candy thermometer, about 8 minutes. Pour sugar into gelatin with mixer on low. Raise the speed carefully and whisk on medium/high until glossy white and the bottom of the bowl is warm but not hot, about 10-12 minutes. Add salt and cinnamon and whisk just to incorporate. Spread mixture into pan, fold parchment over top and let set, at room temperature, overnight. Remove from pan: Combine confectioners sugar and cornstarch. Use a sieve to generously dust top of marshmallows and invert onto a cutting board. Cut into squares with a knife or use a cookie cutter to make fun shapes. Toss each piece in sugar/cornstarch mixture (tapping to remove excess). Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< all recipes Banana Cake w/ Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting I usually have mixed emotions about Valentine’s Day. Yes, it is a lovely idea to celebrate love and all that but why do I have to do it on a particular day, in a particular way and with every other couple in nyc trying to have the most romantical evening over drawn out and outrageously over priced love-themed tasting menu. There are almost always flowers which, if we are being honest here, stress me out. First, a really beautiful bouquet is not cheap and was mostly likely flown in from halfway across the world (we will save that whole discussion for a rainy day). But what I really stress about is having so few precious moments with my flowers and not being able to appreciate them fully. So, because I am slightly neurotic, I end up carrying the vase around the apartment, from bedside table, to desk, to kitchen – to be able to soak up all that flowery beauty at every possible moment. In spite of such devotion, I inevitably forget to refresh the poor plant’s water, completely oblivious to its desperate cries until that smell sets in – it is slightly musty, like a damp trail through the woods, but mostly it is just rot and decay. Sooo. Yeah. I thought you should all know just in case you were hoping I would plant sit your ficus over the long weekend. BUUUUUUT the other, non-debbie downer, pastry chef side of me gets pretty darn excited about the over-the-topness of it all. Mostly because it means I get to bring out my extensive sprinkle collection and have some serious fun. The little hearts are made of marzipan and are stupid easy to make I don’t know why I ever made a cake without them. All the necessary deets are outlined at the end of the post. What makes this banana cake unique is how sturdy it is – most recipes I have made are way to delicate to layer and dry out so fast. This recipe is more like a banana bread all gussied up for Valentine’s Day. And the Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting is unbelievably good – the nuttiness of brown butter gives great depth of flavor without overpowering that cream cheesy goodness. How To Scale a Recipe – Knowing how to scale a recipe is an extremely handy thing when it comes to baking. It is something I am asked about constantly so I have put together a visual guide on scaling a recipe based on pan size – I mean how often do you have your heart set on making a cake only to realize you need the one pan size you don’t own!? Given my teeny-tiny nyc apt, that happens to me all the time. Below is just a teaser because the real deal is quite large and so I have given it a permanent home page that you can find in the “ kitchen guide ” tab up top (or just click the image!). Happy scaling!! If you want to make the hearts: Marzipan Hearts Ingredients marzipan gel food color ziploc parchment paper rolling pin heart-shaped cookie cutters (or whatever shape you want!) Instructions Divide marzipan into the number of colors you are going to make. Put one piece into a large ziploc with a few drops of gel color and knead the color into the marzipan. Add more color as needed. Between two sheets of parchment, roll marzipan to about ¼ - ⅛ of an inch thick. Cut out as many shapes as you can and reroll the marzipan. Repeat with other pieces and colors. Allow marzipan shapes to dry out overnight or a few days for best results. Banana Cake w/ Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting Serves: 2 6" cakes Ingredients For the Cake: 5 oz (136g) unsalted butter, at room temp 1¼ cups (240g) granulated sugar 3 (192g) eggs 3 (270g) very ripe bananas, mashed 2 cups (270g) cake flour, sifted ½ tsp kosher salt 2 tsp baking powder ½ tsp baking soda ¾ cup (180g) buttermilk 1 tsp vanilla extract For the Frosting: 8 oz (227g) unsalted butter, at room temp 16 oz (454g) cream cheese, at room temp 1 lb (454g) confectioner's sugar, sifted ¼ cup (56g) heavy cream pinch of salt 1 tsp vanilla extract (leave out if you want whiter icing) Print Preparation To Make the Cake: Preheat the oven to 325˚F, grease and line two 6" cake pans. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl. Add the bananas and mix just to combine - the batter will look like it has separated but don't worry. In a separate bowl, sift together cake flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk and vanilla. Mix just until incorporated. Divide batter between the two cake pans and bake 30-40 minutes, rotating halfway through and testing the cakes towards the end. Allow cakes to cool completely before doing any trimming or icing. To Make the Frosting: Place butter in a small pot set over medium heat. It will pretty quickly start to make a lot of noise (this is ok). Let it boil rapidly until you start to see brown bits around the sides and the butter starts to smell slightly nutty (about 5 minutes). Strain the butter and let cool to a room temp solid form (about 30min-1hr but you can do this several days in advance and keep the butter in the fridge until ready to bring to room temp). Cream brown butter and cream cheese in an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Turn the speed down and slowly add the sifted confectioners sugar, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl. Once all the sugar is in, turn the speed back up to medium and beat until fluffy and a little glossy (3-4 minutes). Finally add the cream, vanilla and salt. Beat to combine. Notes The frosting recipe is generous for 6" cakes, you will likely have some left over - it should definitely cover and 8" cake but bigger than that I would start to increase the recipe (or have ingredient to make more if needed!). The frosting will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days or 6 months in the freezer. Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< all recipes Miso Black Cod This dish has always been my favorite restaurant indulgence. I don't eat out all that often, so when I do, I try to have something I could not make at home - and until now, I assumed Miso Black Cod was in that category. I was inspired to give it a whirl after receiving my weekly Goop email - usually containing scraps of the high-life, graciously passed down from Gwenyth herself. Her recipes are great for inspiration but i find them slightly pretentious and highfalutin for a layman such as myself. I always end up feeling slightly worse about myself and my commitment to whatever wacky health food trend is in vogue - for example, her recipe calls for nama shoyu with no explanation of what that might be...it is unpasteurized soy sauce in case you were wondering, a common ingredient in raw food cuisine. If you happen to have nama shoyu in your pantry, please feel free to use it. I used soy sauce. This is one of the easiest recipes I have ever made, the only thing required is planning ahead so that the fish can marinate for 24-36 hours. I let it sit 24 hours and it was flaky and delicious, but I think with 36 hours it would have only gotten better. The active prep time is about 10 minutes. It doesn't get any easier than that. Miso Black Cod Serves: 4 servings Ingredients 1 lb black cod, cut into 4 fillets ¼ cup mirin (or white wine) ¼ cup soy sauce 1 tbl maple syrup (can use agave, honey, or brown sugar) ½ cup shiro (white) miso paste 1 tbl safflower oil (or other oil with a high burn temperature: canola, grapeseed, etc) Print Preparation Place fillets into a container (with a lid) that is just big enough to fit the fish if possible. In a small pot, combine mirin, soy sauce, and maple syrup. Cook until just bubbling at the sides, turn off the heat and stir in the miso paste. Let cool completely. Set aside ¼ - ½ cup of the marinade to use as a sauce later, refrigerate. Pour the rest of the marinade over the fish. The fillets do not have to be completely submerged but make sure they are fully coated. Refrigerate 24-36 hours, flipping the fillets halfway through. Preheat the oven to 400°F and start to warm the reserved marinade in a small pot, stirring occasionally. Remove the fish from the fridge and scrape off the marinade. Heat oil in an oven-safe sauté pan until almost smoking (just get it really hot). Sear the fillets 1-2 minutes on first side, until a dark caramelized brown, flip over and put the pan into the preheated oven. Bake for 10 minutes and serve hot with reserved marinade. Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

3 < Back DIY Cake Bunting: Mother's Day Decorations I love this new style of cake decorating because it is so versatile. It can say whatever you want it to say (simply print out your own stencil) and while I guess it is meant for cakes, it can make almost anything just that much more special – from a cake to a terrarium. So, watch my super nerdy video, have yourself a nice little crafternoon and tell Yo Mama you love her. Here are some ideas of what to dress up with your DIY Cake Bunting: Funfetti Cake – the obvious choice for any celebration Breakfast in Bed – Oatmeal Raisin Scones , Fig & Mascarpone Scones , or Lemon & Rosemary Scones – clearly I have a thing for scones (don’t you?) A Terrarium from Adore in NYC – I can’t keep one alive to save my life but your Mom kept you alive so… Vacherin – one of my Mom’s signature desserts that once warm weather comes I get as much as I can Cake Bunting Tools: color paper – a thicker construction or craft paper is best pretty string – really anything works here, I like a natural twine with a fancy metallic swirl two skewers (or something similar) exacto knife or scissors – i like the exacto knife to get those pesky center cutouts but its not like i am creating a masterpiece so scissors would probably get the job done cutting matt or thick cardboard – apparently the cutting matts you get at art supply stores are “self healing” – I mean that is crazy! why can’t I be self healing!!? stencil printout – find a type you like that is bold and pretty – go wild! Previous Next

< all recipes Homemade Pop Tarts What better way to celebrate Valentine's Day than with these buttery little bundles of love - and since it is on a Saturday this year, a Pop Tart breakfast in bed sounds about right. I got a little excited about all of the possible fillings (as you can see below). I mean I actually bought marshmallow fluff (which was tasty but oozed out of the tarts just fyi - not to mention had me bouncing off the walls for hours). Tip: Pipe thicker fillings like fluff, peanut butter or cream cheese. If you don't have those triangular piping bags, put filling into a small ziploc bag, cut the very tip off one corner and go wild! Also, put less fluff than I did above - it is hard to squeeze out less than that but maybe do a few dots of fluff or try mini marshmallows. These are so perfect for a special breakfast because you can make the dough a few days in advance (like this weekend), roll and fill them the day before and voila!! the next morning all you have to do is preheat the oven! Homemade Pop Tarts Serves: 14-16 pop tarts Ingredients 1 1/2 cups flour 1/3 cup whole wheat flour 1 tsp salt 1 tbl sugar 8 oz butter, cold and cubed 1 egg 3 tbl milk GLAZE 1 egg (for egg wash) 2 cups confectioners sugar 3-4 tbl milk Print Preparation Make the pastry dough: combine dry ingredients. Using a mixer with paddle attachment or your hands, work cold cubed butter into flour until about the size of peas (and all the flour has been moistened). Whisk egg into milk, add to flour/butter, and mix just until everything comes together. Shape into a flattened rectangle, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 5 days). Preheat oven to 350˚F and line two baking sheets with parchment. Let dough sit at room temp for 15-20 minutes while you prepare your choice of fillings. Roll out half of the dough to about 1/8 inch. Cut 2x3in rectangles (or other desired shape) and place on prepared baking sheets. Roll out the rest of the dough and cut out matching shapes. You can reroll the scraps once if desired. Use a fork to poke holes into all of the cut out shapes. Fill half with whatever fillings you like. Brush bottom side of remaining dough with egg wash and lay on top of filled pieces. Press edges gently with a fork to seal and brush tarts with egg wash. At this point you can refrigerate the pop tarts overnight or freeze up to a month. Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating pan halfway through, until golden brown. Make glaze: whisk together confectioners sugar and milk. Allow pop tarts to cool completely before decorating with glaze and sprinkles (optional). Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< all recipes Chrissy's Crumble This crumble recipe is what started me down the culinary path. My Mom is an incredible cook but desserts were never part of the program, and being a nicely plump twelve year old I decided this madness had to end. One summer evening, with guests due any minute I scavenged the kitchen with my mom and put together a blueberry crumble. It was so simple but our guests showered me with praise over its deliciousness and my resourcefulness. I was hooked. I find such happiness in cooking and baking as an expression of my love for friends and family, but the adulation doesn’t hurt. This is the apple version but you can certainly make it with almost any fruit you like. In the summer I usually make it with blueberries – and even though they are in season I actually use frozen berries a) because it is still easier on the wallet b) i almost always have some on hand for smoothie-making and c) i can make blueberry crumble in the depths of winter! PRINT Chrissy's Crumble Serves: 10 Servings Ingredients 8oz unsalted butter, melted 2 cups all-purpose flour ½ cup sugar ½ cup brown sugar 1 cup rolled oats 1 tsp kosher salt 1 tsp cinnamon 1 cup chopped walnuts, or any other nut you like (optional) 6-8 cups fruit (apples in fall/winter, blueberries & peaches in summer) Print Preparation Melt butter in a small saucepan. Put remaining ingredients, except fruit, in the bowl of an electric mixer with paddle attachment. Mix on slow speed and begin to pour in the warm butter. Mix until wet but still clumpy. Spread onto a baking sheet, keeping it clumpy, and refrigerate for 30 minutes or more to set – you can freeze the topping after this step in a Ziploc for 6months, simply spread over fruit right out of the freezer and pop in the oven! When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350˚F. Prepare fruit in a 9x13in casserole dish and spread topping evenly over fruit. Bake 45-60 minutes, until top is a dark golden brown. Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< all recipes Gazpacho Gazpacho is one of those things I have always loved in theory but every time I order it or try to make it, the result is inevitably one of two things: an unhealthy oily mess or glorified salsa. And yet I have maintained this dream of one day finding a gazpacho recipe that is delicious aaaaaand healthy – because lets be serious, there is nothing worse than thinking you are being sensible when you really should have just gone for the burger…ok there are probably worse things in the world but I am guessing you are not reading a post about gazpacho to hear about all the sh*t hitting the fan around the world (for that I recommend my favorite daily email that tells me what I need to know in current events so I am not a complete idiot living in my gazpacho-filled food bubble). Long story short, this gazpacho recipe is based on one from last weeks nytimes food section that ended up being too good to be true. It used only fresh tomatoes which is noble in principle but when they are pureed with lots of other things they do not pack enough punch – so I added some canned fire roasted whole tomatoes which perfectly boost that fresh tomato flavor. This also helps with the color – which in my nytimes version was somewhere between beige and peach in color. Not ideal. What makes this gazpacho recipe so much better than any other I have made is that, using very little oil, you are essentially emulsifying the whole thing, bringing all of the flavors together (unlike the previously mentioned salsa variety). Just make sure you have really ripe delicious red tomatoes – they are coming in fast and furious right now so get on it people!! Shout out to Farmer Bob (aka my Dad) for those ridiculously beautiful tomatoes pictured above! I promise to leave some for you to eat. Gazpacho Serves: 8-12 cups Ingredients 2 lbs red ripe tomatoes 1 large cucumber, peeled 2-3 New Mexico chiles (anaheim or other light green pepper) 1 small yellow onion 1 clove garlic 1 28oz can whole plum tomatoes (I like Muir Glen fire roasted) juice of 2 limes 1-2 tbl kosher salt (if using fine salt, start with half this amount) black pepper ½ cup extra virgin olive oil Print Preparation Puree everything except olive oil in a food processor or blender - let run a minute or two to really get it smooth. You will probably need to do this in two batches so just roughly divide everything in half. Once smooth, slowly drizzle olive oil into the mixer while it is running (again if doing in batches, divide olive oil as well). Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Chill for a few hours before serving. This keeps very nicely in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Serve with some avocado and crusty bread for dipping. Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< all recipes Harissa Harissa is a North African chile sauce that can vary from region to region, even family to family. I like the addition of tomato paste to mellow out the chiles and to make it more of a sauce than a paste. It is so versatile - use it to marinate chicken, beef, or shrimp, add it to canned crushed tomatoes to make a delicious pasta sauce, or add some plain greek yogurt to make a creamy dip or sandwich spread. I could continue but I will spare you for now. Harissa Serves: about 1 cup Ingredients 5 dried chiles* 1 tsp coriander seeds ½ tsp fennel seeds ¼ tsp black pepper ¼ tsp allspice 1 tsp kosher salt ¼ - ½ cup lemon juice 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped ½ cup tomato paste ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil *chiles are tricky in that you can never be sure of their heat until you take a bite – that being said, there are general guidelines that can help. For milder heat, use pasilla or ancho chiles. For extra heat, use chiles de arbol or chipotle chiles (chipotles are smoke-dried jalapeños and therefore add great depth of flavor along with a kick in the mouth). Print Preparation Bring a small pot of water to a boil (4-5 cups). Remove stems and seeds from chiles, place in a bowl along with boiled water, cover and let sit for 1 hour. Toast the coriander and fennel seeds in a dry sauté pan until fragrant (1-2 minutes, keep a close eye on the spices as they can burn very easily). Using a mortar and pestle, spice grinder, or whatever you have on hand, grind up the coriander and fennel – it does not have to be finely ground, about the consistency of coarse black pepper. Combine everything except olive oil in a food processor (fitted with blade attachment) and blend about 30 seconds, until everything is incorporated, then drizzle in the olive oil, continuing to blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< all recipes Fresh Mint Meringues At the risk of jinxing the decent weather we have been having this week, I am officially putting away the winter coat and snow boots. More importantly though, I am making Fresh Mint Meringues for a crowd! (or for a few as these little morsels are dangerously pop-into-your-mouth-able). I must admit I was getting a little caught up in my culinary spring delight, having way too much fun dolloping and swirling, not to mention covering myself in lime green sugar. Oh and treating the neighbors to my very own rendition of the entire Pitch Perfect sound track. I blame the sugar. Its always good at times like this to have those people who will bring you back to reality, telling you you probably won’t be the next Whitney Houston, and who will ask the tough questions like “cauliflower again? really?”. But lets just say I was less than thrilled when Chris’ reaction to my adorable little meringues was “that’s it? where’s the rest of the dessert?”. Ugh. Ok so I may or may not have forgotten the rest. While I think these would be perfect with some chocolate ice cream, or whipped cream and fresh fruit, I had actually envisioned them as cake decoration! I just hadn’t gotten around to making the cake. Minor oversight. My point in all this rambling is that these meringues are delicious and versatile and totally deserving of their own post. And that I am making the accompanying Mint Chocolate Chip Cake as we speak so stay tuned!!! Fresh Mint Meringues Serves: 50-60 hershey-kiss sized meringues Ingredients 4 eggs whites 1½ cups sugar 1 bunch fresh mint green food coloring (optional - gel color is best) Print Preparation Preheat oven to 225˚F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine egg whites and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and set over a pot of simmering water (make sure the bowl it not touching the water). Add the fresh mint - keep mint as a bunch so it is easier to fish out later. Heat whites and sugar, whisking constantly, until sugar has dissolved and the mixture is warm to the touch - 2-3mins - or until it reaches 150˚F on a candy thermometer. Remove mint. Beat in mixer with the whisk attachment on high speed until you have stiff glossy peaks (about 3min). Stir in color if using. Fill piping bag and dollop away! Bake for 1-1½ hours, until dry to the touch. Meringues will keep in an airtight container at room temp for a week. Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< all recipes Belgian Waffles with Caramelized Apples & Maple Yogurt Ok so I know I said I am not that into Valentine’s Day but seeing as my valentine has been requesting waffles about once a week since we met, I thought making them required a special occasion. My reason for holding off so long was the simple fact that we do not own a waffle maker – and I refused to buy one because where the heck do we fit it in our tiny apartment. The struggle for kitchen cabinet space is real. But I happened to find an old one in my parents’ basement and figured it was a sign. These belgian waffles are ridiculously good – they are fluffy and light with an outer crust that actually stays crunchy long after being soaked in maple syrup. The apples were added because well, thats what I had around and I don’t consider breakfast complete without fruit, or yogurt for that matter. So feel free to mix up the toppings to suit your own weird breakfast requirements or whatever is in season. I am pretending like I didn’t lick the plate clean but we all know that happened 30sec after the photo below was taken. Belgian Waffles with Caramelized Apples & Maple Yogurt Serves: 6-8 waffles Ingredients 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour ½ cup (105g) brown sugar 3 tsp (12g) baking powder 1 tsp (6g) baking soda ½ tsp (4g) kosher salt 1 cup (240g) buttermilk ½ cup (60g) cream 8oz (227g) unsalted butter, melted 2 egg yolks (30g) 3 egg whites (105g) for the toppings: 2 apples (I like honeycrisp) ¼ cup maple syrup 1 tsp cinnamon 8oz plain greek yogurt maple syrup (for the table) Print Preparation Make the Caramelized Apples first: Slice apples into roughly ¼ inch slices and set in a pot over low/medium heat with the maple syrup and cinnamon. Cook, stirring occasionally until tender - how tender is a matter of preference, personally I like the apples to still have a bit of crunch. Mix the juice at the bottom of the apple pot into the yogurt, adding more maple syrup if it is not sweet enough for your liking. Make the Waffle batter: Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, cream, melted butter, and yolks. Pour this into the dry ingredients and whisk just until combined (but still a little lumpy). Using a stand or hand-held mixer with a whisk attachment, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whites into the rest of the batter. Let this sit 10-15 minutes while you heat up the waffle maker. Cook waffles (according to your waffle-maker instructions) until golden brown. Serve with apples and a dollop of yogurt and warm maple syrup. *freeze the cooked waffles for a tasty breakfast any time! defrost in the toaster for single servings or in a 350 oven for a crowd (about 10 minutes). Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< all recipes Zesty Lime & Pecan Shortbread Cookies I had a few limes left over from last week’s Horchata ‘Ritas and with Cinco de Mayo still on the mind I thought of Mexican Wedding Cookies and then these Zesty Lime Shortbread Cookies just sorta happened (the train of thought made more sense in my head). Thats really all I have to say this week. Finishing up my thesis project and my brain is rebelling against having to do any extra sentence formation. I think it is time for another cookie study break anyway. Zesty Lime & Pecan Shortbread Cookies Serves: 24 Cookies Ingredients 2 cups pecans, lightly toasted ½ cup sugar 2 cups flour ½ tsp kosher salt 2 limes 2 sticks unsalted butter, cold and cubed 1 cup confectioners sugar Print Preparation Combine pecans, sugar, flour and salt in a food processor. Add the zest of both limes (keep the limes for their juice later). Pulse ingredients until pecans are finely and evenly chopped. Add the butter and pulse again until the dough resembles wet sand and holds together when pinched. Pinch off golf ball-sized pieces of dough, roll into balls and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet two inches apart. Put sheets in the fridge for 15-20 minutes (or overnight). Preheat oven to 350˚F and bake cookies 25 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, until the bottom edges start to brown. Cool completely on a rack. Put one cup of confectioners sugar in a bowl and squeeze in the juice of those two limes. Whisk together and if you need more liquid (you probably will) add a tsp of water at a time until the sugar is drizzling consistency. Top cookies with a very light sprinkling of lime zest. Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< all recipes Cider-Braised Shallots This recipe is from Nigel Slater's Tender cookbook - an incredibly detailed and extensive guide to all things vegetable. A perfect pairing for pretty much anything, a roast chicken seems particularly suited - full disclosure, this is purely speculation. I made them on a night I was home alone and therefore thought it was totally appropriate to just have onions for dinner. Straight from the roasting pan. So I can verify that Cider-Braised Shallots are also perfectly delicious on their own. Cider-Braised Shallots Serves: serves 4 as a side Ingredients 16oz shallots 3 cloves garlic ½ cup golden raisins lots of fresh thyme 2 tbl butter, melted ½ cup apple cider ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar (or white wine vinegar) 2 tbl dark brown sugar salt and pepper Print Preparation Preheat your oven to 400˚F and have a 9x13 casserole dish at the ready. Cut shallots in halves or quarters, depending on size – it does not really matter as long as you cut them all into roughly the same size. Place them in your casserole dish. Slice the garlic thinly and add to shallots along with the raisins and thyme (on or off the stem is up to you, on the stem is a bit more rustic but requires less work!). Pour melted butter, cider, vinegar, and brown sugar over everything and toss to coat. Season generously with salt and pepper and cook for 45-60 minutes, until very tender. Serve warm or at room temperature. Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast